*Spoilers For Twilight Of The Gods Season 1*

Me when I write a DnD setting where the main villains are themed around manifesting from humanity's emotions, defining traits, etc. and then watch Chainsaw Man/Jujutsu Kaisen

I know I'm three years late to the riot but who let Arcane steal the plot vibes and themes of Storge beat for beat in the first two episodes before turning it into the most emotionally devastating tragedy I've ever seen.

Ko-fi Full body commission for @theguardiandragon1 , featuring adult Sasha and Anne from "Amphibia". 🐸❤️💙

Thank you so much for commissioning me! 💜

“I’ve been in that thing’s head,” or: how does Marcy view the Core?

In the last episode of Amphibia the Core decides to ram the moon into Amphibia and kill everyone on the planet because it is such a sore loser.

Ramming the moon into Amphibia is sort of an extreme action to me, so I do wonder what would lead it to do that. How lucky is it that Marcy says it for me, then: “Fear. I’ve been in that thing’s head. I know that more than anything, it’s afraid of being destroyed. Of being irrelevant. It will do whatever it takes to defeat us and claim the stones as its own. If that means destroying an entire civilization, then so be it.”

You don’t know how much this line means to me. Marcy of all people saying that the Core is scared, just, wow. But why? Why her? She’s been in its mind but how does she know? The Core would never admit this, the Core would never tell her that, so how does she know that it is scared? (And why does her voice go flat? Why does she look so tired when she says that?)

Well, there’s this word that Marcy uses. “Irrelevant.” “Irrelevant” is an interesting word considering it applies to both Marcy and the Core: “I am scared of being irrelevant.”

And, I gotta say, getting your friend to steal a music box for her birthday present and riding on the pipe dream that it might send you to a place where you’ll never have to grow apart is. Sort of an extreme action to me? You’d have to be really desperate to do that.

Marcy: “I’m sorry. I was so scared about moving away. The thought of losing you was just so big. I was afraid that if we weren’t together, we wouldn’t be friends anymore.”

Do you understand? The Core has Marcy’s actions and thoughts blasted up to eleven, pushed to extremes. “I am scared of being irrelevant. I am desperate. I will do whatever it takes to keep us together, even if it means sending us to another world.”

Because if Anne defeats Andrias the pushover and Sasha defeats Darcy the control freak then does Marcy defeat the Core? Does Marcy understand? She’s been in its mindscape, she’s been in its fantasyland. She’s rejected its fantasy adventure, she knows she’s not it, but does she look at the Core and does she understand, viscerally, what she’s looking at?

Marcy: “You know I bet I can fit in your pocket.”

There’s something to be said about Marcy going “boundaries, Marcy” and then immediately climbing into Andrias’ pocket. Ignoring boundaries like that, like the Core does all the time.

(Edit: Okay I just rewatched “the Beginning of the End” and in the flashback in the beginning Marcy spoils the movie they are watching. And Sasha goes: “Whoa! Spoiler alert!” Then Marcy apologizes, and, notice this, opens her mouth to spoil the other twisty twist right after apologizing.

Again, “boundaries, Marcy,” she thinks. The thought is fresh on her mind she literally said it out loud - and then she gets the bright idea to climb into Andrias’ pocket. No hesitation, no delay.

The Core is a thousand times worse in its actions, make no mistake about that, but on a base level they are the same! And Marcy would recognize that!)

There’s something to be said about Darcy going for the mind pain thing when Andrias is being pissy about his long-dead friend, forcing him to follow its orders.

Marcy: “But forcing them to follow my dreams is wrong. I learned that the hard way.”

There’s something to be said about Marcy using her own selfish wish as Anne’s birthday present and Andrias going “Yes … it’s … everything I’ve ever wanted,” because Mars & Dars both have a tendency to not consider what other people want in favor of what they want.

There’s something to be said about immortality and lasting forever.

Marcy: “What an amazing adventure. Makes you wish it could last forever, huh?”

Actually, let’s go on a tangent. In s3e22 (episode 13a) Mother Olm says this: “These conquerors, with their arrogance and greed, created an unnatural thing that does not sleep and will not die.”

Mother Olm really is hyping the Core up as the spookiest and scariest villain of all time, and for me as an individual I know that’s not true. I don’t view villains as scary, I don’t tend to buy the hype.

Crucially, I don’t think Marcy buys into the hype either. Does she hate it for what it has done to her? To everyone? Sure! Why not. But I don’t think Marcy finds the Core scary, she doesn’t buy into its hype, because ‘scary’ is a word used for things you don’t know and she’s literally been in its mind. (And also did slap away Aldrich’s hand and reject the Core’s sick fantasy that was so cool btw.)

Anyway, tangent over, back to “the Hardest Thing”.

Something interesting happens right after Andrias betrays the Core, and the interesting thing in question is that the Core-as-Aldrich says this: “Fools! You cannot stop … a god!”

Considering the Core canonically feels emotions, I’d imagine that it feels quite upset, because in the previous scene Andrias betrayed it and it failed the invasion so epically. (Rest in piss buddy.)

So if we take it saying the above in the context of the Core being upset, there is a certain interpretation I can and will make.

That is, do you think it wants to be a god?

Do you think it wants to be “an unnatural thing that does not sleep and will not die”?

Do you think it wants to be a machine computer? Do you think it wants to be anything but a bunch of losers in a trenchcoat that don’t know everything, that aren’t gods but pitiful mortals like the rest of us, that get scared and frustrated and make mistakes?

Because I am sure it would love to be an emotionless machine and god-emperor. I am sure it would love to be a thing, a machine computer that doesn’t feel fear or uncertainty, only here to conquer and control and restore Amphibia to its former glory. I am sure it would love to be a god, far above mortal things, soaring the skies instead. But the Core isn’t a god. The Core isn’t even a computer. It is very, painfully mortal, and capable of being destroyed.

I am sure it would love Mother Olm hyping it up as a villain like that, cuz it makes it big and it makes it relevant. I am sure it would love to be an object, a great and terrifying thing instead of a person (people?), because why be made of flesh and blood when you could rather be a machine computer?

Now, this analysis is about what Marcy thinks of the Core, so let’s bring it back to Marcy, shall we?

Marcy is an escapist.

Canon gives very little information about her home life which is honestly such a shame, but I can’t imagine that it was the greatest, considering she did what she did.

Marcy: “I started this whole mess because I wanted to escape that reality. But I won’t run away from it anymore!”

In Amphibia Marcy is the chief ranger of the Newtopian Knight Guard, because why be the clumsy klutzy Marcy of Earth, the place where your pain comes from, when you could rather be a super cool ranger/artificer?

Because if Anne defeats Andrias the pushover and Sasha defeats Darcy the control freak then does Marcy defeat the Core the escapist?

…

I guess the Core would be sort of unnerved by Marcy because she can cut through its hype and see it for what it is: A bunch of old amphibians long past their expiration dates, still trying to bring back the nonexistent greatness of a millennia ago. It’s honestly sort of pathetic, that they can’t freakin’ let go. That’s what you get for being the antithesis of change, I guess.

F is for friends who do stuff togetherrrr

Death Battle Matchup: The Collector (Aurora Webcomic) vs Emperor Belos (The Owl House)

Connections: ancient mages who have spent centuries perfecting their own twisted version of their world’s magic system (Belos invented the Coven Sigils to force people to control “wild magic,” whereas The Collector manipulates life magic to create monsters and destroy cities by “healing” their land). They see the people in their world as being entirely below them, and treat even the godlike figures in their world as just pawns and tools in their machinations (Vash for The Collector, Papa Titan and The Collector for Belos). They commit evil actions like genocide in the name of one of the ancient gods of their world, who makes up the very land that the story takes place on (The Primordials and Papa Titan), despite these entities not necessarily supporting their villainy back. They both have a form which can shift in between being humanoid and sludge-like, which allows them to regenerate from massive amounts of damage. Both characters prefer to enact their plans in secret and stay out of sight, but demonstrate deadly effectiveness in combat when the situation calls for it.

Animation potential: there’s a lot of potential for interesting scenes and interactions between the two characters’ powers. Belos has a much more versatile set of spells and abilities, so he can do a lot to outmaneuver The Collector using Glyphs, teleportation, mind magic etc., meanwhile The Collector can use her control of the Primordials to manipulate the terrain to her advantage and distract Belos by summoning Chimerae to her aid. They could then transition to a more close quarters physical battle with Belos’s Palisman form vs The Collector with her knives and plant magic. Lastly, Belos in his Titan form could go up against The Collector channeling the power of Primordial Life, and/or trying to take his soul for her own.

Dialogue/interaction potential: both characters are very calculating and sinister, so they would likely start with Collector trying to goad and study Belos while the latter tries to intimidate and belittle her. As the fight goes on, Belos slowly loses his composure and becomes more aggressive and animalistic, while the Collector becomes more confident in developing a strategy to win.

Track name: Wicked Witches

Debate: Both characters are pretty comparable in AP/Speed/Durability, so abilities and hax seem to be the deciding factor. Ultimately, I think Belos should win in this case even if Collector’s stats are likely a bit higher. He has several abilities between petrification, telekinesis and the Titan’s mold-breath that should be able to overcome the Collector’s life magic. Meanwhile, the hax that the Collector has are much more situational and less likely to overcome his defensive abilities.

Setup: The Collector arrives in the Boiling Isles seeking information about the Titan and its powers, hoping to study it and add to her collection. Locals lead her to Emperor Belos as the ultimate emissary of the Titan; however, Belos is suspicious of her Life magic as signs of a “wild witch” and so he decides to have her seized and petrified for her “heresy.”

it is indeed December 10th my dudes

I have come up with a better metaphor than “you can’t pour from an empty cup” for burnout. You can’t boil an empty kettle. Pouring from an empty cup just gets you nowhere. Trying to boil an empty kettle can ruin the kettle, the stove, and burn down your house if you keep trying it.

Death Battle Matchup: Sasha Waybright (Amphibia) vs Severa (Fire Emblem)

Connections: Both characters are fantasy swordswomen who are part of a trio that get send to another universe and are tasked with saving it from an ancient evil (Anankos/ the Core). They care deeply about their loved ones, enough that they will sacrifice their lives for them, but early on in their stories they express this in very toxic ways (Severa has an inferiority complex which causes her to lash out at her friends and family, and Sasha acts controlling and manipulative towards her friends). Their character arc revolves around them learning to grow past their toxic behavior and into mature adults who help support the younger generation (Severa as a mother, Sasha as a child psychologist). They also both have designs which heavily focus on the color red (Sasha’s armor is red, and Severa’s most canonical hair color is red to connect her to her mother).

Animation potential: pretty good IMO, on the surface it seems like a standard sword fight, but both characters have some flashy fighting styles that would make for good choreography. And Sasha’s calamity powers and Severa’s Skill abilities/ alternate class options would both make for good power-ups midway through the fight.

Dialogue: both characters would probably be able to banter back and forth in a snarky way, with Severa probably being a bit more aggressive while Sasha might try to taunt Severa and get inside her head more.

Fight dynamic: I have two options of how this could start. One, the battle has a cold open with the two in a duel similar to Guts vs Dmitri, only this duel would be surrounded by a full-on army battle between Wartwood and Nohr. Alternatively, Severa could be sent on a mission through the Deeprealms which accidentally lands her In Amphibia, upon which Sasha would probably be suspicious of Severa in a similar manner to Obi-Wan vs Kakashi.

The fight would probably start small scale, with both characters locked in a duel and going back and forth taunting and insulting the other. Sasha would probably be more easily able to get under Severa’s skin, causing her to get mad and escalate things by using her skills and generally being more aggressive. The collateral damage threatening Wartwood/Amphibia would then prompt Sasha to get mad and go all out in a similar way, probably with some version of her “I’ll never give up, not now, not ever!” speech.

Eventually, the battle would take to the skies with Sasha in her calamity form vs Severa atop her pegasus. Sev would be able to use Luna, Sol, etc. to break through Sasha’s defenses and maintain stamina through healing, but Sasha would be able to maintain the clear power advantage. Eventually, Sasha would likely be able to destroy Severa with a powerful enough energy blast, but might still lose an eye and/or arm in a manner reminiscent to Captain Grime.

Potential track name: Crimson Moon (both characters feature the color red as a prominent feature in their designs, Severa’s alias Selena is themed after the moon, and the red moon is a significant feature in Amphibia)

it is actually hard to take some people seriously when they talk about trans stuff bc they make it just absolutely patently clear that they have never spoken to transmasc ppl, esp transmascs of color, abt their experiences. (& their baseline for ‘transmasc’ is rly just ‘trans man,’ and white, passing/100% stealth trans man at that). bc otherwise they would notttt be saying some of the things they do about what transmascs allegedly do or don’t experience. 

like there are ways to talk abt trans issues And transfem-specific issues and transmisogyny (and that transmisogyny is an extremely violent, ubiquitous system, in which everyone, including other trans people, is a participant) without making sweeping claims about what transmascs experience. just an example of stuff ive seen but. “transfems, including and even especially in queer spaces, get disproportionately painted as sexual predators and abusers and transmisogyny is what causes so many of these accusations to be levied against and believed about trans women with little proof. transmisogyny causes this and is used as a tool to violently isolate and silence transfems” is very true and extremely important. “transmascs don’t get painted as sexual deviants, sexual predators, abusers etc” or even “don’t systemically get painted as …” is ridiculous. it’s not the same experience; this specific example in particular is a phenomenon that gets experienced by diff trans ppl differently, but the blanket “transmascs don’t have this happen to them” is just wildly incorrect. transfem and transmasc experiences are not inherently opposites. this doesn’t mean they’re identical, or that transmisogyny is not a unique system that functions in unique ways, but there’s no need to make sweeping blanket statements that would be just instantly proven untrue if you’d ever like, listened to transmascs talking abt what they experience also.